Person:Joseph LaPointe (1)

Miami Valley Military History Museum Newsletter "The Big Picture" First Quarter 2018 page 9 Miami Valley Military History Museum 120 Ohio Ave, Dayton, OH 45417 www.mvmhm.com

Joseph Guy Lapointe, Jr
Birth: 2 Jul 1948 Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, USA
Death: 2 Jun 1969 (aged 20) Quang Nam, Vietnam
Burial: Riverside Cemetery, West Milton, Miami County, Ohio, USA
Plot: Section 6, Lot 443, Grave 2
Memorial #: 7862048
Bio: Viet Nam Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Lapointe served as a Specialist Fourth Class, United States Army, 2d Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division. He was awarded his medal posthumously for service at Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, on June 2, 1969. His citation reads-For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Lapointe, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2d Squadron, distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman during a combat helicopter assault mission. Sp4c. Lapointe's patrol was advancing from the landing zone through an adjoining valley when it suddenly encountered heavy automatic weapons fire from a large enemy force entrenched in well fortified bunker positions. In the initial hail of fire, 2 soldiers in the formation vanguard were seriously wounded. Hearing a call for aid from 1 of the wounded, Sp4c. Lapointe ran forward through heavy fire to assist his fallen comrades. To reach the wounded men, he was forced to crawl directly in view of an enemy bunker. As members of his unit attempted to provide covering fire, he administered first aid to 1 man, shielding the other with his body. He was hit by a burst of fire from the bunker while attending the wounded soldier. In spite of his painful wounds, Sp4c. Lapointe continued his lifesaving duties until he was again wounded and knocked to the ground. Making strenuous efforts, he moved back again into a shielding position to continue administering first aid. An exploding enemy grenade mortally wounded all 3 men. Sp4c. Lapointe's courageous actions at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades. His gallantry and selflessness are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
Family Members
Parents
Joseph G. LaPointe 1925-1987
Mary Lee Cassel LaPointe 1931-2017
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Added: 11 Sep 2003
URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7862048/joseph-guy-lapointe
Citation: Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 12 April 2018), memorial page for Joseph Guy Lapointe, Jr (2 Jul 1948–2 Jun 1969), Find A Grave Memorial no. 7862048, citing Riverside Cemetery, West Milton, Miami County, Ohio, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .

StaffWriter, Barrie Barber. "50 years later, local Vietnam vets thanked - For many, ceremony is welcome home, final recognition of duty. DAYTON," Dayton Daily News (OH), March 31, 2016: B1, accessed April 12, 2018, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15BF358A6F52F5B0?p=NewsBank.

"Miami," Dayton Daily News (OH), February 01, 2015: B3, accessed April 12, 2018, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15338443A1F0B880?p=NewsBank.

Moss, Meredith. "Uncovering secret gardens - Collaboration keeps VA Grotto Gardens blooming. LOCAL HISTORY VA GROTTO GARDENS," Dayton Daily News (OH), August 17, 2014: E1, accessed April 12, 2018, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/14FC19A606E5A000?p=NewsBank.

HUFFMAN, DALE. "Flag ceremony recalls medic's sacrifice 40 years ago," Dayton Daily News (OH), June 03, 2009: A7, accessed April 12, 2018, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/1289D491D65B1D30?p=NewsBank.

U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Name: Joseph Lapointe
SSN: 292-46-5422
BORN: 2 Jul 1948
Died: Jun 1969
State (Year) SSN issued: Ohio (1965)

U.S., Vietnam War Military Casualties, 1956-1998
Name: Joseph Guy Lapointe Jr
Birth Date: 2 Jul 1948
Death Date: 2 Jun 1969
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Race: White
Home City: Clayton
Home State: Ohio
Religion: Baptist Churches
Marital Status: Married
SSN/Service #: 51803369
Citizen Status: U.S.
Death Date: 2 Jun 1969
Casualty Type: KILLED IN ACTION
Casualty Reason: Grenade
Service Branch: Department of the Army
Component: Selective Service
Military Grade: Specialist Fourth Class
Pay Grade: Specialist Fourth Class (U.S. Army) or Corporal (U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps) or Sergeant (U.S. Air Force) or Grade/Rate Abbreviations With First Column: Any Entry; Second Column: N; Third Column: 3; Fourth Column: Blank (U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard) or
Province: Quang Tin
CN: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)
Service Occupation: MEDICAL SPECIALIST

National Archives and Records Administration.

Coffelt Database [Archival Database]; Records with Unit Information on Military Personnel Who Died During the Vietnam Conflict, ca. 1983-6/19/2002; Collection COFF: Richard Coffelt, Richard Arnold, and David Argabright Collection; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.
Combat Area Casualties Current File, 6/6/1956-1/21/1998 [Archival Database]; Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam Conflict, 1/20/1967-12/1998; Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.

U.S., Army Personnel and Dependent Casualties, 1961-1981
Name: Joseph G Jr Lapointe
Birth Date: 1948
Gender: Male
Race: Caucasian (White)
Home State: North Dakota
Casualty Country: Vietnam, Republic of
Casualty Category: Battle Dead
Casualty Status: Hostile Dead: Died While Missing In Action (previous)
Casualty Date: 2 Jun 1969
Cause of Death: Not Booby Trap Connected: None Of The Above; Other Weapons (including Cutting Instruments, Piercing Instruments, Blunt Instruments, Etc.)
Report Date: 2 Jun 1969
Province: Quang Tin
Military Occupation: Medical Specialist (army)
Division: 101st Abn Div (Ambl)
Personnel Catagory: Active Duty Army
Military Class: Enlisted Personnel
Rank: Specialist Fourth Class
Source Information
Ancestry.com. U.S., Army Personnel and Dependent Casualties, 1961-1981 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005.

Original data: National Archives and Records Administration. [File from the U.S. Army] Casualty Information System [Archival Database]; Records of Deceased Army Personnel, Deceased Dependents of Active-Duty Army Personnel, and Active-Duty Wounded Army Personnel, 1/1/1961 - 12/1981; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Record Group 407; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.

Description

[email protected], Nancy Bowman. "HISTORIAN KEEPS MEMORY OF MEDAL OF HONOR WINNERS - Ray Albert finds their stories, even their remains," Dayton Daily News (OH), November 06, 2003: Z9-1, accessed April 14, 2018, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/0FEECAAD5882CC45?p=NewsBank.

For the Dayton Daily News, Debra Gaskill. "MORE HONORS FOR VIETNAM WAR HERO - Bill would rename part of Salem Avenue for Medal of Honor winner Joseph Guy LaPointe," Dayton Daily News (OH), February 28, 2002: Z1-3, accessed April 14, 2018, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/0F3A4D161061035A?p=NewsBank.